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Help please. '59 F600 Hello. I am new here and a noob in general when it comes to trucks. I need schooling.
I need/want to buy a decent work truck.
An old(84yo) farmer is selling a '59 F600 that he uses to hall grain. It looks decent and seems to run fine. But I don't have the slightest idea what I am looking at! So here I am hoping that some folks here can tell me what I need to look at/check out before I make this purchase.
I realize this information is available on these forums, but after a few hours of reading I realized I'm not finding the information that I need to make an educated decision. I'm suffering from information overload. Can anyone tell me how hard it is to buy parts for a truck this old?
Can anyone here please help?
Thank you.
PS Sorry about posting in the '48-'56 page. I clicked on the wrong tab. :P
Having bought many old trucks, I have found that the brakes are the first thing to attend to. Many times they are shot just from sitting. I have gotten many goos deals just because the owner didn't want to or couldn't fix the brakes. Parts are not too hard to find but can be expensive for the big trucks. The other big issue is the tires and wheels. Read up on that subject. If you have a farm or truck tire place nearby, ask if they change truck tires on multi piece wheels, and note which kind you have. Engines and trannys are easy to come by if you should need one. I could go on all day, but they need me down in the shop now. Good luck and could you get a photo or two.
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'92 F350 4x4 dual wheel service truck. 7.3 with headers and glass packs. 5 sp man tran. 255 85 16 Toyos. 110,000 miles. '59 F350 9' flareside new project, cummins 6at turbo diesel, sm 465 4 spd. 255 85 16s again, 37 ford 1 1/2 ton stake with 53 flathead V8. 65 toyota landcruiser fj 45 longbed pickup. 54 GMC 3/4 ton flatbed w/ cummins 6at, '68 BSA 441 Victor Special, bone stock, Antique tractors and one lung flywheel engines .....
I got to drive it around a bit. The engine sounded awesome. Tons of power. But at the end of the day I just don't think I am in a position to turn it into the beauty that it could be. I've never tried restoring a truck. Let alone a truck where the engine hood would require two grown men and a boy to pick up. LOL
I'm probably going to go for something more "entry level".
While it`s a vey nice truck it`s uses are limited other than as a heavy work truck. I think you will be better of with a half ton that you can drive daily.
What kind of work truck are you looking for? A daily driver to drive back and forth to work, or something to haul large or heavy loads?
As an owner of several 1960 F600s, they are not ideal for everyday driving. Slow steering, large turning diameter, and adequet power (with the 292) is not bad in rural areas. The 4 speed will shift nicely, and you can get the hang of the 2 speed rear fairly quick. Due to axle ratios and tire sizes (common high range are 5.83 and 6.33) your top speed will limited. Mine drive nicely at 45 to 50.
Things to look for are:
Wheels, if it has the "widowmakers" (very likely with 20" tires) you will need to replace them. 22.5" wheels will be 1 piece tubeless - best option.
Brakes, Rust is the enemy - check steel brake lines. It can get expensive if you have to get into replacing wheel cylinders, shoes, and drums. Make sure brakes look good and stop the truck well. If they have not been changed you will end upchanging the rubber brake hoses.
Steering, make sure there is not excessive play in the steering wheel and that the truck does not wander, requiring constant turning of the wheel. There may be a bit of a "dead zone" when going straight, but it is the nature of the beast.
On parts, most mechanical parts for the engine and drivetrain are commonly available. I find many at NAPA. Brake parts depend. Master cylinder and booster are fairly available. Wheel end parts for brakes are getting more difficult to find. The shoes can be relined by a reliner that does truck brakes. Springs, wheel cylinders and rebuild kits, and adjusters are not so common.
Last edited by 3414; 01-11-2012 at 06:48 AM.
Reason: add info
It's a nice looking truck. I never come across any kind of good deals. And yes the hood is VERY heavy!! I've had to wrestle that monster off by myself many times. No matter how many times you lift it, it doesn't get any lighter. haha
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1958 Ford F-100. 351 W .030 over and Speed Pro flat top pistons, Comp Cams 224/226, World Windsor Sr. heads, Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 750 carb, Roller rocker arms, Proform one-wire distributor, MSD 6-AL ignition.
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